Physical linkage and mate preference generate linkage disequilibrium for behavioral isolation in two parapatric crickets.

ABSTRACT: Behavioral isolation is a potent barrier to gene flow and a source of striking diversity in the animal kingdom. However, it remains unclear if the linkage disequilibrium (LD) between sex-specific traits required for behavioral isolation results mostly from physical linkage between signal and preference loci or from directional mate preferences. Here, we test this in the field crickets Gryllus rubens and G. texensis. These closely related species diverged with gene flow and have strongly differentiated songs and preference functions for the mate calling song rhythm. We map quantitative trait loci for signal and preference traits (pQTL) as well as for gene expression associated with these traits (eQTL). We find strong, positive genetic covariance between song traits and between song and pref

SUBMITTER: Blankers T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6593781 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature